Title: Can’t Take the SkyAuthor: caitriRating: PGPairings: Mal Reynolds, Shepherd BookWord Count: 307Summary: Star Trek/Firefly x-over. Mal Reynolds on Earth. Birthdayfic for rubynye.Disclaimer: I know this may come as a shock, but I am not, amazing as it may seem, Gene Roddenberry, J.J. Abrams, Paramount or Bad Robot. Joss Whedon, Fox, or Universal, either. Just so you know.

Mal stares up at the cool blue of San Francisco's sky from the balcony of Cochrane Hall. He'd enjoyed the 'Fleeters' tour in his own way but it was all getting to be too much. He found he actually missed Kirk--that was one man who didn't hold with any gosse.

A welcomingly familiar voice behind him: "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Huh," he says intelligently.

"What did I tell you about faith, Captain?" Book looks contemplative, though only the warm glow of his eyes and slight quirk of the mouth reveal how truly--impressed he is with this place.

"What did I tell you 'bout bein' so gorram smug?" Mal replies mildly.

"I don't recall?" Book answers innocently.

"Mmm." Mal peers down, can see Kaylee talking animatedly with one of the Fleeters, River and Simon grinning nearby. "I always knew where I was out there in the black. Can't say as I know what to do here in the green," he admits. "It's all too good to be true, y'know? Easy life, as much of anything as I ever wanted.."

"'Safe' is the word I believe you're looking for, Captain," Book offers.

"Right. Safe." Mal tastes the word, completely foreign to a boy from Shadow, to a volunteer for the Independents, to the Captain of a ship. "I want to go back to Serenity," he says abruptly. "Back to the Rim. Thete's still things needin' doin' there."

To his surprise, the Shepherd smiles. "Thought you'd never say it."

Mal grunts, but feels the beginnings of a grin. "I'll need a crew..."

"Some say I'm handy in a fight, for a man of the cloth," says Book. "And I'm a decent cook."

He slaps the Shepherd on the shoulder. "That you are," he agrees. "C'mon, let's see if there's any Earthmen worth the name."